


Save Image?

by EzzyDean



Category: Free!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2014-04-03
Packaged: 2018-01-18 02:17:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1411294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzzyDean/pseuds/EzzyDean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the final relay life continues on and Rin's life has gotten more complicated now that everyone is getting along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lectures

**Author's Note:**

> This was basically my way of celebrating a great end to a great first season of a great show.

The trip home was filled with mostly silence.  There was a little talk here and there, mostly murmurs about the stunt he pulled, but the captain would cut it off with a look.  He was good at that.  Those looks.  Golden eyes that saw a whole hell of a lot more than he let on.  Rin knew that first hand.  Which is why when he felt those eyes turn on him he dared to meet them.  He knew that Mikoshiba would see through anything he tried to hide right now anyway.  Nitori was nowhere to be found when he drug himself up to their room, and he was still not sure if calling his junior by his first name was a good idea but hey it had made the kid really happy so whatever.  He let the door shut as he stretched and tossed his stuff into the corner and was confused when he didn’t hear it click shut.  Spinning around he froze.  Mikoshiba was standing in the doorway, eyes blazing.

"We are going to have a talk.  No, actually.  You are going to sit and listen to me, Matsuoka."  The door shut with a soft yet audible click that Rin was sure the entire dorm had heard.  It reminded him of the finality of a nail being pounded into a coffin in some horror flick he had seen months ago.  The captain walked towards him, shrugging out of his jacket and tossing it on the desk, and Rin backed up unconsciously until the back of his knees hit his bunk and he sat with a thump.  He opened his mouth to speak, to apologize again, to say something but he snapped it shut when he met those gold eyes.  Gold eyes that saw through his words and his bluffs and his stupid tantrums.  Sharp eyes of a good captain.  A deep inhale from Mikoshiba and he braced himself, eyes slipping shut without his permission. "Do you realize the amount of time I have spent in lectures because of you?  Do you realize how much I  _hate_  lectures?”  The irritated yet amused voice surprised him and he blinked up in shock.  ”You are such a pain in my ass, Matsuoka.  As if being the captain of Samezuka’s swimming team,  _Samezuka_ , swimming powerhouse you know, isn’t enough of a pressure you come swooping in and it’s like a damn tornado hit.”

Mikoshiba was pacing as he talked and Rin could only stare in confusion.  The captain was normally a pretty reserved person.  Sure he got a bit excited sometimes but he wasn’t really one to have this much energy while talking.  He was gesturing dramatically and pointing at Rin with a scowl and Rin had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at how out of character Mikoshiba was behaving.

"First I have to practically beg you to join the team."  An accusing finger pointed at him.  "Oh and then you thank me by making me help cover when your friends break in to our pool."  An eye roll, that was unexpected.  "Then I have to deal with you deciding you want to do freestyle when butterfly is obviously your better option."  Dramatic gesture.  "Better for everyone, not just you, mind you."  More pointing.  "Then you finally get to race Nanase and you suddenly want to join the relay and I have to convince the team that it’s worth it.  And you,"  Mikoshiba was suddenly right in front of him, leaning over and stabbing Rin’s shoulder with his finger, "turn around and make me regret my decision.  Do you know how hard it was to deal with the other guys?  How much damn sweet talking and paper work I have had to deal with since you waltzed onto this damn team?"  Licking his lips Rin waited out the silence.  Sensing that the captain was maybe done with his lecture he took a hesitant breath.

"Do you feel better now?"  He winced at his own question.  It came out sounding so much snarkier than he had intended and he glanced at Mikoshiba, prepared for another lecture about how he should be respecting his captain, not mocking him.  Instead he got a groan as Mikoshiba flopped onto Rin's bunk face first, taking up nearly the whole mattress and causing him to stand awkwardly beside it.

"Damn it.  Between classes and being the captain and dealing with you I am so exhausted right now."  His golden eyes bored into Rin and he let out a frustrated sigh.  "I am going to go to sleep right here right now, no I don’t care that it’s your bed or that mine is across the hall," he answered before Rin could even voice his protest, "and I swear if you know what’s good for you, Matsuoka, you will  _not_  wake me up until after sunrise.”  Rin watched as the captain nuzzled his face into Rin’s pillows and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “I’m too young to get gray hair.”  Blinking he glanced around the room unsure of what he should do.  The door opened and he looked up into Nitori’s eyes.

"Nitori."  Moving closer as the younger boy shut the door he whispered so he wouldn’t wake Mikoshiba; who had already fallen asleep from the sound of the steady breathing coming from Rin’s bunk.  "Ai.  What the hell am I supposed to do?  Help me out here."  Nitori set his bag on his desk and slipped off his jacket before shrugging, trying to hold back a yawn.

"I don’t know, Rin-senpai.  I am definitely going to bed though.  I am tired."  He looked down at Rin from his bunk, smiling.  "Could you do a favor and shut the light off?"  The almost smirk on his face made Rin roll his eyes.  Obviously the captain had told Nitori he planned on having a chat with Rin.  Otherwise there would have been some semblance of surprise on his face when he came in.  Letting his eyes adjust to the moonlight he shifted, unsure of what to do.  After the day he had he was exhausted too.  But Mikoshiba was hogging his bed.  And his blankets and pillows and that damn Nitori hadn’t even offered Rin one of his extra pillows.  He could sleep on the floor, he thought as he sat on the edge of the bunk, trying not to wake the captain.  But he really would rather not.  His fate was decided as he moved to slip to the floor and was snagged by the captain instead, suddenly finding himself on his back with a warm arm across his waist.  He could almost see Nitori’s face peeking over the edge of the bed in the moonlight and he hissed at him.

"Don’t even say a word, Nitori.  Just shut up and go to sleep."  Not wanting to risk another half hour rant from Mikoshiba - he was too damn tired to listen right now - he let himself be pulled away from the edge ever so slightly and adjusted his head on the pillow, quickly giving up and falling asleep.  He never heard Nitori’s giggle or registered the flash from his phone.

[From: Nitori

Look at this!

(Download Img)]

Kou had to hold in her squeal of joy when the picture loaded.  She stepped out of the room and bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Is everything alright?"  Makoto’s mother poked her head into the hall and smiled.  They had all went to Makoto’s house to celebrate their tournament victory.  They had been disqualified but it was still a victory in her eyes.  Seeing that look on her brother’s face would last her a hundred years.

"Oh yes.  I just got a text that my brother is going to be okay and I’m just really happy."  She could see where Makoto’s kind smile came from when his mother nodded and headed to check on the twins.

"Don’t stay up too late."

"Yes, ma’am."

[To: Nitori

OMG THAT IS SO PRECIOUS!  HOW DID YOU MANAGE THAT?]

 Slipping back into Makoto’s room she glanced around and a sly smile crossed her lips.  She held up her phone, trying to get the right angle and snapped a couple pictures.  Her breath caught and she winced when Nagisa muttered something and rolled over and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as his arm landed on Haru’s head.  Taking another picture she sat on the floor near the door, wrapping herself in a blanket.

[From: Nitori

Captain Mikoshiba gave your brother a lecture and then he must have just passed out from all the stress lately and then Rin-senpai got snagged when he sat on the edge of his bunk.]

She smiled and typed out a quick reply before curling up with the pillow she had been given.  It had been a great day.

[From: Kou

They’re all pretty exhausted here too.  :D Check these out!

(Download Img)]

[From: Kou

I’m heading to sleep and you should too.  Good night.

(Download Img)]

He hit the buttons to download the pictures and actually laughed out loud when they popped up, clamping his hand over his mouth when he heard someone stir below him.  The Iwatobi boys were sprawled on someone’s bed in a pile.  He tried to remember which was which as he studied the pictures.  Makoto, being the largest, was on his back and two of the others, Rei and Nagisa if he remembered correctly, were using his chest and stomach as a pillow.  The blonde was face down with his arms wrapped around Makoto and the other had one hand across his own chest and the other dropping off the edge of the bed.  In the second picture Nagisa had obviously shifted positions and now he was on his back with an arm thrown across Haru’s face.  The latter boy was curled on his side with his back to Nagisa, eyes just barely cracked open as the picture had been taken.  Nitori leaned over the bed and took one more picture, sending it before slipping his phone under his pillow.  Rin would probably kill him in the morning when he found out about this but that was okay.

[From: Nitori

Don’t worry about your brother, Kou.  He’s in good hands here at Samezuka.  :)

(Download Img)]

When she started laughing and tearing up the next morning the team looked at her with bleary confused expressions.  Through her tears she looked down at the screen again.  Rin was on his bed flat on his back and Mikoshiba was curled around him, much like Nagisa had been on Makoto the night before.

[Save Img to Phone?]

She hit yes and smiled up at the team.  At her friends.  Makoto yawned and gently pushed Rei off him, smiling when Haru rolled towards the center of the bed.  Both teams had good captains and both Matsuoka siblings had some good friends on their side.  And she finally had her brother back.  This next year was only going to get better from here.


	2. New Rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Alex for the rules and the permission to run with them and thanks to Ruru for the [idea](http://ruritto.tumblr.com/post/62303442841/sauntering-down-seijuurou-goes-home-after) to run with it.

Waking up the next morning to the sun shining into his room Rin was blissfully alone.  No captain.  No roommate.  No one but him.  He let out a content sigh and rolled over not even noticing he was under the blankets now.  It was probably mid morning but he didn’t care.  Everyone had been given a day off after the tournament.  There was a swim meeting slash practice around noon but that was it.  Glancing at the clock he decided he could get another half hour of sleep or so before then, so he set the alarm on his phone, not even bothering to read the messages from his sister.  He’d get to those later.  

When the annoying alarm blared in his ear he instantly regretted his decision.  He actually felt even groggier now than he did before and there was about twenty minutes til practice started.  There was no way he was going to be late today.  Today was his new start with the team and he was determined to make it up to them.

He flipped through his text messages and nearly collided with the doors to the locker room when he got to the last text.

[From: Gou

Hope you slept well last night!  We had a big sleepover at Makoto’s (his parents insisted) and it was a blast.  Tell your roommate and captain I trust them to take care of you.]

 

What the hell was that about?  Take care of him?  Why the hell would he want his captain to take care of him?  He’d have to ask Nitori if he knew what Gou was talking about later.  There was no one in the locker room and he dropped his stuff off in his locker, not even noticing the new page tacked up on the team bulletin board.  Straightening his shoulders he pushed open the doors to the pool, expecting some annoyed looks and he was prepared to apologize to the team.  He was not prepared for the atmosphere when the team, almost as a whole, turned to look at him as he walked in.  The looks in their eyes was as far from angry as they could be.  In fact, he gulped as he slowly made his way to the end of the pool where they were gathered, most of them looked  _pitying_.

Glancing around, looking for Nitori or the captain, he tightened his grip on the goggles in his hand.  Had something happened?  Had someone higher up changed their mind about letting him stay on the team?  He knew he had screwed up big time but he was finally ready to move on and put everything behind him.  He could almost feel the tears trying to surface as his panic settled in his chest.  Out of the corner of his eye he finally found Nitori.  The first year was bouncing around the captain, eyes sparkling, and Rin felt a little relieved.  No way would Nitori be so happy if Rin had been kicked off.

"Matsuoka.  Come here a sec."  All eyes flew from him to Mikoshiba and back as the captain’s voice echoed through the room.  Approaching them the relief Rin had felt quickly died off, replaced with a sense of impeding doom.  Mikoshiba was grinning at him with  _that_  look.  That look, coupled with Nitori’s giddy behavior, meant trouble and Rin knew it.  The captain held out a piece of paper with a smug look on his face.  ”In light of recent events we have a few new rules for the team.  Everyone else already read them.  If there’s a problem or you don’t agree with them I’m afraid you won’t be able to participate on the team.”  He reached for the paper with slightly shaking hands and bit the inside of his lip.  As he skimmed the lines he was sure his face was redder than the captain’s stupid head of hair and he looked up in disbelief.  ”Problem?”  Those golden eyes were challenging him to fight back and he looked back down, reading the notes again.

> Due to recent events it has come to my attention that a few adjustments need to be made to the Samezuka Swim Team Code of Conduct.  No other rules have been changed.  There is just one simple addition.
> 
> Any member who A) Joins another school’s swim team for any event at a tournament and B) helps them win, therefore disqualifying said team and themselves for the tournament shall face dire consequences.
> 
> (Note:  These consequences include, but are not limited to, reenacting the Swim Team’s maid cafe lineup for an entire day, in uniform.)

  
"You’re joking."  Glancing around for support he noticed Nitori was conveniently missing.  No one was really willing to look him in the eye and he turned back to Mikoshiba.  "Funny.  Believe me I learned my lesson.  No dire consequences needed."  His nervous laughter died off when Mikoshiba didn’t look away and pulled something from the duffel at his feet and every ounce of color fell from his face.  It was a perfect replica of the outfit Rin had worn on the day they did the maid cafe.  In fact it might have even been the one he had been forced to wear.  He could feel his face burning as Mikoshiba advanced towards him and he tried to back away, stopped by a pair of arms wrapping around him.

"Sorry, Matsuoka-senpai."  Nitori had his arms around Rin and was trying to hold him still.  At least he had the decency to look slightly embarrassed at helping the captain with this scheme.

"Now now, Matsuoka.  These are the rules.  You read them yourself."

"You just made those up!"

"Well, yes.  They are recently adjusted to fit recent circumstances."

"You think I’m going to go along with such ridiculous rules?"

"This is your punishment for all the crap your captain has put up with because of you."  The smile never left his face as Mikoshiba slipped the dress over Rin’s head as he struggled to free himself from Nitori.  Had he wanted to get free bad enough he could have pushed the younger swimmer down or sent them both into the pool, but he didn’t want to risk seriously hurting either of them.  He was an asshole, sure, but his pride being injured was still preferable to either him or his roommate being injured.  Nitori finally let go of him with a giggle and he stood there, eyes blazing and face on fire, as Mikoshiba tied the apron on him.

"You are so abusing your privileges as captain."  He couldn’t help the whining tone that entered his voice as Mikoshiba took a step back to admire his work.

"Details.  Details."  The captain waved off his complaint and turned to the team.  "Ok everyone, meeting is over.  You have a free practice today.  Swim as you wish."  Rin froze in the process of trying to untie the apron to rip off the stupid outfit.  "Our maid, Rin, here will bring you guys any towels or drinks you guys need today."

"I am going to pay you back for this, Mikoshiba.  Just you wait."

"Sometimes, Matsuoka," he smiled and posed as Nitori whipped out his phone for a picture and Rin sputtered beside him, "it’s good to be the captain."

[From: Nitori

Your brother is still in good hands.  He has been sternly reprimanded for his actions.

(Download Img)]

Kou would never admit that the laugh she let out when the picture loaded ever happened.  But as her four boys standing by the pool stared at her in curiosity and concern she couldn’t help the happiness that filled her.  She and her brother were certainly surrounded by good friends these days.


	3. Payback

The phone vibrated across his desk and Rin looked up from his bed.  It was finally summer break and his sister had convinced him to come home for at least part of it.  He gave in, deciding that it would be a nice break from listening to Nitori complaining about how much he already missed Captain Mikoshiba and how the team wasn’t going to be the same without him next year.  Cringing a little at memory Rin sat up and grabbed his phone.

[From: Ryugazaki

Matsuoka… There’s something you should probably know.]

 

Frowning a little at his phone he sent a quick reply -  _What now?_  - and dropped his phone beside him.  The day was clear and he had been planning on a nice quiet jog after spending the day relaxing in bed.  But apparently someone somewhere thought otherwise as his phone buzzed numerous times in quick succession.

[From: Ryugazaki

I’m not sure how best to say it.]

[Please don’t be mad at me for telling you.]

[I just thought that since no one else seemed to want to tell you, or really seemed to worry if you found out, it was my duty to let you know.]

[Just promise you won’t get too mad.]

 _Just tell me already_  - he hit send and tossed his phone to the side with a sigh.  Damn that Ryugazaki, Rin refused to call him by his first name yet, sure knew how to irritate him.  He thought that Captain Mikoshiba and Nagisa were the only ones to be able to do that so easily.  But this guy was right up there near the top of the list.  The next message made his stomach drop and then rise into his throat in a burst of anger.

[From: Ryugazaki

Your sister showed us a picture on her phone of you in a maid uniform with your captain.  Also I think there was one of him using you for a pillow of some kind.]

He was in the hallway and outside his sister’s room before he even realized he was moving.

"GOU!"  Slamming open her door he glared at her, narrowly dodging the pillow that came flying at his face.

"Oh!  Rin I am so sorry."  Gou hopped up from where she was hidden beside her bed, barricaded behind some pillows, and grabbed the pillow from the floor.  Anger dimming with confusion he glanced around.  Every pillow and blanket in her room, and a few from the living room it looked like, had been used to make two pillow forts.  He couldn’t help the amused chuckle that he let out.  She was only a year younger than him but seriously?  Pillow forts and pillow fights?

"So who were you planning on decapitating with that pillow?"

"Oh I wasn’t decapitating anyone.  I threw high.  My aim’s pretty good you know."  Threw high?  It almost hit him in the face so whoever her friend was would have to come up about to his shoulder.  He didn’t know any of her friends anymore so he couldn’t come up with an idea of who it was.  Realizing she gracefully avoided his question he narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on her.

"You didn’t answer me, Gou."  His dear, precious little sister had just opened her mouth to respond when a familiar voice spoke from behind him.

"Oh!  Senpai!  Hello!"  Nitori slipped past him and sat on Gou’s bed with a friendly smile.  One Rin did not return.  The gears whirled in his mind and suddenly it all made sense.

"You two are friends?"  Glancing from one to the other he noticed how Gou met his gaze without the slightest care and Nitori had the brains to at least look a little sheepish.

"Yeah we started talking after the relay."  Gou’s smile was sweet and innocent but Rin knew better.  She was his little sister after all.  He handed her his phone and indicated she should read the text message displayed on the screen.  A blush of irritation rose on her cheeks and she let out a sigh.

"You two being friends wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would it?"  Nitori leaned over her shoulder to read the message and stiffened.

"What do you think?"  

"I think my little sister needs to remember who her big brother is."  He lunged at her, easily dodging the pillow she threw as she stumbled into her fort beside the bed.  Nitori watched on in shock as Rin pinned her to the ground and tickled her sides.  The shrieks she let out would have sent their mother running to the room to make sure they weren’t killing each other.  "She needs to remember that even if I was gone for awhile I still remember the ultimate punishment for her."  She tried to catch her breath but Rin was merciless, he knew all her weak points and he was determined to make her pay.  As tears started to form at the corners of her eyes and she struggled to squirm out from under him she gasped out.

"Nitori!  Help me!"  Rin shot him a glance, daring him to try something, and he gulped.

"But.  But.  He’s Matsuoka-senpai and I…"  Gou had almost managed to slip away from Rin but he turned back at the last second and a new round of laughing filled the air.

"Nitori, please!"  One moment Rin was grinning down into his sister’s flushed face and the next he was on his side staring at a pile of pillows.

"What the hell?  Ai?"  He took note of the gray hair before he was hit in the side of the head with a pillow.

"You are so dead now, Rin!"  Gou’s triumphant voice broke him out of his stunned state and he sat up and struggled to loosen Nitori’s grip on his waist. "Head’s up!"  A gleeful, and possibly somewhat evil, giggle sounded and he looked up.  It was an instinct and it was stupid because he took a pillow straight in the face.  It wasn’t hard enough to knock him over but it was enough for him to let go of Nitori’s wrist and try to lunge at Gou.

Fifteen agonizing minutes later all three of them were strewn across the floor of Gou’s room.  She had almost made it to her bed once but Rin had knocked her over with a pillow to the back of her knee and she had landed on Nitori, who quickly scrambled out from under her to avoid the second pillow Rin was launching.  Nitori had almost made it out the door until Gou had used him as a shield.  Rin declared himself the winner and they all collapsed, exhausted from the fight.  Maybe he would skip the jog tonight after all.

[To: Ryugazaki

Don’t worry about anything.  I took care of my sister.]

His phone buzzed almost immediately and he started laughing at the reply.  Before his sister or Nitori could react he sat up and took a picture of them sprawled on the floor.  They both had their eyes closed and looked rather roughened up.  The smile on his face grew almost vicious as he realized Gou’s mouth was hanging open slightly and the way the light was hitting her face it almost looked like she was drooling.

[From: Ryugazaki

What exactly do you mean by ‘took care of’?]

[To: Ryugazki

I mean I took care of things.

(Download Img)]

This response took a moment longer, probably because he had to download the picture, and he almost wished he could see Ryugazaki’s face as he opened it.

[From: Ryugazaki

Please tell me they aren’t dead or dying.]

[To: Ryugazaki

Who?]

[From: Ryugazaki

Your sister and Nitori.]

[To: Ryugazaki

I have no idea what you’re talking about.  I no longer have a sister.]

Gou’s phone started ringing and she sat up with a groan.  Noting the suspicious grin on her brother’s face she answered it, wincing and pulling it away from her ear.  Rin could almost make out the words from his place near the door and when her eyes flashed and she glared at him he actually laughed when she dropped her phone to the floor and scrambled to her feet.

"RIN!"  Her shout followed him through the hallway as he sprinted to his room, clicking the lock into place as she hit the door.  It felt good to laugh again.


End file.
